Suede
What is suede?
Suede is a type of leather that comes from the hides of wild animals, like deer or elk. The grain side (outer side) of the leather is often scarred or marked because it comes from animals that live outdoors. So the flesh side (inner side) of the hide is usually used to produce suede. Nowadays the wild animals that are used to create leather are often kept in enclosures. Suede can also come from animals like calves or cows, which are often raised on farms or as pets. It’s easy to get confused between the different types of full-grain leather. Almost all types of this leather are mistakenly referred to as “suede”, even though they come from different sides of the animal hide.
Features of Suede
Suede has a velvety, yet rough, surface. This look and feel are achieved by sanding the hide. You can identify suede easily by brushing your hand over the material. When you do this, you can see the direction of your movement as the fibres change direction. Like smooth leather, you need to look after your suede products so that they look fresh: Looking after suede.
Sources (4th January 2023):
- https://blog.eschuhe(dot)de/nubuk-und-wildleder-was-ist-der-unterschied-zwischen-diesen-beiden-lederarten/
- https://steelhorseleather(dot)com/blogs/the-journal/nubuck-leather
- https://bestleather(dot)org/types-of-leather/nubuck/
- https://steelhorseleather(dot)com/blogs/the-journal/what-is-suede
- https://bestleather(dot)org/types-of-leather/suede/
- https://www.leather-dictionary(dot)com/index.php/Suede_-_Nubuck_-_Buckskin